Unlocked iPhone 4S Coming to the U.S.A. in November

Tonight, Apple began offering online pre-orders for their new iPhone 4S. But some customers, like myself, have been holding out to hear about an unlocked iPhone 4S. Apple has now updated their Store with information and pricing for the Unlocked iPhone 4S models, and pricing is pretty much as expected.

The 16GB model will retail for $649, the 32GB model for $749, and the 64GB model for $849. The Unlocked and contract-free iPhone 4S is set to arrive sometime in November in the U.S.A., and it will only work on GSM providers in the U.S.A., such as AT&T. It will not work with CDMA based carriers like Verizon and Sprint, and Apple has made sure to include that disclaimer on the iPhone 4S page.

The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a contract commitment. You can activate and use it on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States.* The unlocked iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.

If you don’t want a multiyear service contract or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice. It arrives without a micro-SIM card, so you’ll need an active micro-SIM card from any supported GSM carrier worldwide. To start using it, simply insert the micro-SIM card into the slot on your iPhone and turn it on by pressing and holding the On/Off button for a few seconds. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your iPhone.

It was only a few months ago that Apple started selling an unlocked iPhone in the U.S.A., even though many other countries had been officially selling unlocked iPhones for quite some time. So while the majority of iPhone customers in the U.S. will likely choose to get a subsidized iPhone 4S on a contract, this is good news for U.S. customers who are looking to pick up an unlocked iPhone 4S as soon as possible.